Method and apparatus for making joints in woven wire fabric



April 5, 1938. E. J. BUELL ET AL ,1

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING JOINTS IN WOVEN WIRE FABRIC 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 18, 1936 INVENTORS.

B a9. ,fiu

ATTORNEYS.

April 5, 1938. E. J.- BUELL ETAL 2,113,265

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING JOINTS IN WOVEN WIRE FABRIC Filed Jan.'18, 1936. v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 15, w w 1/ /A 3 I INVENTORS! v BYATTORNEYS- Patented Apr. 5, 1938 UNITED STATES METHOD AND APPARATUS FORMAKING JOINTS IN WOVEN WIRE FABRIC Edward J. Buell, Niagara Falls, N.Y., and Francis D. Martin, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada ApplicationJanuary 18,1936, Serial No. 59,750 In Canada January 21, 1935 12'Claims.

The present invention pertains to a method, and apparatus for makingjoints in woven wire fabric and is well adapted for the manufacture ofseams in Fourdrinier wires. Heretofore, efforts have been made ,toconnect the ends of the belt byaligning. the warp picketson each side ofthe seam, and connecting, them through the medium of an interposed stripeither of fusible,

or non-fusible material by the application of I heat.

fusible core and a fusible coating, it is not so important that the warppickets be aligned, but in each case, it is necessary to hold the endsof the fabric in contact with the interposed strip during the .heatingoperation.

The relatively fine mesh and large width of Fourdrinier wires haveheretofore, been regarded as insurmountable difiiculties in thedevelopment of a machine that is moved at uniform rate across the widthof the fabric. These difllculties have been augmented in those seamswhere heat is employed, for in such instances, heat conducting blocksmust be used to protect the work from being overheated, and thesenormally require resetting at short intervals. The resetting of theblocks usually requires resetting of the fabric to insure uniformity ofthe finished product, all of which not. only requires considerable.time, but increases the pp9rtunity for failure in the at- 0 tainment ofa correctly made joint.

Anobject of our invention is the provision of a method and apparatusbymeans of which wire joints can be made continuously in a woven wirefabric, notwithstanding the relatively fine mesh of which the fabric ismade, and the width of the belt on which the seam is intended to beused. The invention is applicable not only for making seams in which astrip containing fusible material is interposed between the ends of thefabric,

0 but also in making other types of seam, which do not necessitate theuse of an interposed strip.

Referring now to the-drawings, Fig. l illustrates in side elevation, apreferred form of ap-. paratus for carrying out our improved method; 6 5Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the apparatus shownin Fig. 1 on a somewhatlarger scale, certain parts being broken away to more clearly illustratethe internal construction; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sec tional detail, theplane of the section being indi- 0 cated by the lines 33 on Fig. 1; Fig,4 is'an enlarged sectional detail illustrating the ends of the wireready to be joined by the use of an interposed strip.

We propose to carry out our invention by 5 placing the ends and II ofthe fabric to be Where the interposed strip has a nonjoined upon a blockl2, which extends entirely across the width of the fabric, and which issupported upon a work table I3. Disposed above the fabric and extendinglengthwise of the seam, we have shown a beam M, which supports the seam5 making mechanism for movement across the fabric. The beam, in turn, isillustrated, as having shoes l5, rigidly attached thereto, and slidablysupported in girders I 6 that are disposed adjacent the ends of the worktable, and in turn are 10 carried by columns H. The girders may comprisechannel members, which are placed back to back, and are attached to theopposing faces of the columns. This leaves an opening through which athreaded spindle, 20, journalled at 2| and 16 22 in the columns mayextend. A threaded nut 23 is rigidly fastened to each'shoe, and isadapted to extend downwardly into the opening between each pair ofgirders, and is in threaded engagement with the spindle, as is shown inFig. ,2.

The spindle and nut form a screw and nut couple by means of which thebeam may be adjusted transversely of the seam. One of such couples ispositioned at each end 'of the beam, and each spindle is provided with ahand wheel 25 24 by means of which it may be rotated.

The seam forming mechanism comprises a carriage 30, which is shown as abox-like member a pinion '35 projects. -The pinion is operativelyconnected to the motor through the gear reduction unit, and is adaptedto mesh with a rack 36, that is fastened to the top of the beam.

Depending from the carriage is a cradle, which is illustrated as havinga top member 40, end 40 members 4| and bottom members 42; the endmembers being connected to the top and bottom members at 43, and 44respectively. The vertical position of the cradle with reference to thecarriage may be controlled by adjusting screws 45 45, such adjustmentbeing useful for controlling the pressure at which the work is engaged.The lower cradle members 42 comprise guideways in which heat, conductingblocks 46 are carried. Ea ch block has a T-shaped head 41 which engagesthe corresponding passageway 48 in the bottom members so as to suspendthe blocks whenever the cradle is raised sufliciently to clear the work.The blocks 46 have a small opening 49' therebetween through which heatpreferably in the form of a flame from a torch 5|] may be played uponthe work. The torch, in turn, is shown as being carried by an invertedchannel member 5| that straddles the blocks, and is rigidly fastenedthereto.

The heat conducting blocks'and the associated torch are movable, as aunit, withreference to the cradle, so as to facilitate the applicationof heat in those seams for which a continuous movement is not suited.However, in other scams, where continuous movement can be applied,provision is made for clamping the blocks to the cradle, whereupon theheat can be applied continuously, and with a uniform rate as thecarriage is moved along the beam. Such locking mechanism may comprise aset screw 52, which is'carried byone of the bottom members 42, and whichis adapted to engage one of the blocks 46.

To make a seam by means of a machine, embodying our invention, the twoends of the fabric are laid upon the block l2, and the rest of the clothis passed aroundrolls 53, which are carried by removable shaftssupported on thework table. The ends are carefully placed in oppositionto each other, and are then held in such position by weights 54, whichrest upon the fabric, and which extend across the width thereof, and oneach side of the seam. The weights, however,

mechanism intermittently across the fabric, the

hand wheels 24 are operated, if necessary, to adjust the beamtransversely with respect to the seam. The adjusting screws 45 are thenoperated to lower the cradle until the heat conductin blocks 46 engagethe work with a sufficient degree of pressure to conduct the heattherefrom, when the gas is ignited, and yet to permit them to. be

slid along the cloth progressively during the heating operation.

Whenever, the operator desires to actuate the motor is operatedintermittently, and then the torch unit is moved by hand along thecradle to .weld or solder a predetermined length. Then, the warppickets, in advance of the torch, are

, adjusted progressively, and the cradle is advanced to a new sectionduringwhich time the torch is not applied to the work. Thereupon, thetorch until is moved with respect to the cradle until another section istreated. In other types of seams, however, which are adapted forcontinuous seaming, the torch unit is rigidly fastened to the cradle bythe clamping screw 52, and then the motor is operated to move the cradlecontinuously across the fabric. During 'such movement, an operator maymake such final adjustment to the position of the warp pickets, as maybe necessary to maintain the desired degree of alignment in advance ofthe torch.

We claimz- 1. A method of making a seam in wire fabric, comprisinginterposing a strip between the ends -of the fabric to be joined,abutting the ends of the fabric against opposite sides of the strip andprogressively moving' a heat applicator with substantially uniformvelocity entirely across the fabric to unite the strip to the fabric.

2. A method of making a joint for wire fabric,

comprising interposing a strip containing fusible materialbetween theends of the fabric to be joined, and positioning a heat applicatoradjacent to the interposed strip, and then moving the applicator at asubstantially uniform velocity across the entire joint, the applicatorbeing regulated to furnish sufficient heat to fuse the strip to thefabric without making objectionable changes in the molecular structurethereof.

3. An apparatus for making a seam in wire fabric, comprising a trackwaydisposed above the fabric, a carriage movable along the trackway, anelectric motor for operating the carriage, and means mounted suspendedfrom the carriage for applying heat to the fabric adjacent the joint,said means including heat conducting blocks that are movable with thecarriage.

4. A device of the character described, comprising in combination acarriage, means for supporting it in spaced relationship to thecontacting ends of the fabric that are to be joined, means for movingthe carriage longitudinally of the joint, and other means for moving thecarriage transversely of the joint.

5. A device for applying heat to a joint in wire fabric, comprising atorch, a carriage for holding for the fabric to be joined, means forslidablyengaging the surfaceof the fabric on each side of the joint, atorch associatedwith said means. and mechanism for movingthe torchlongitudinally of the joint.

'7. A device of the character described, comprising in combination, aflat continuous support for the fabric to be joined, means for slidablyengaging the surface of the fabric on each side of the joint, a weldingor soldering means associated with said last named means, and meansformoving said welding or soldering means longitudinally of the joint.

8. An apparatus for making a seam for wire fabric comprising a beam thatis spaced from the fabric, a rack carried by the beam, a carriagemovably supported on the beam, an electric motor mounted on thecarriage, gearing operatively connecting the motor to the rack, a cradledepending from the carriage, means mounted on the cradle for unitingtheends of the fabric,

and means for adjusting the beam transversely of the joint.

9. An apparatus for making seams for wire fabric, comprising incombination, a beam that is disposed above the fabric to be joined, acarriage movable along the beam, a cradle suspended from the carriage,means for adjusting the cradle vertically with reference to the work,other means for adjusting the cradle laterally with reference to thework and a torch movably positioned on the cradle.

10. An apparatus for making seams for woven wire fabric, comprising incombination, a beam, means for supporting it above the fabric to bejoined, mechanism for adjusting the beam transversely of the joint, acarriage movably positioned 'a portion thereof slidably engaging the topof the fabric and a torch carried by said member. 11. A method of makinga seam in wire fabric,

comprising bringing together the ends of the fabric to be joined,against the opposite sides of an interposed strand, andprogressively.moving.

a heat applicator with substantially uniform velocity entirely acrossthe fabric to unite the ends and the strand together.

12. An apparatus for making a seam in wire fabric comprising a carriage,means for supporting the carriage for movement along-the fabric,

DI SC LAI M E R 2,ll3,2 65.E'dward- J. Buell, Niagara Fal1s,N. Y., andFrancis Martin, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. IN WOVEN WIRE FABRIC.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING JOINTS Patent dated April 5, 1938.Disclaimer filed February 18 1939, by the assignee, The 'Lindsay Wire Weamlng Company. Hereby enters a disclaimer of claims 1, 2, 6, 7, 11, and12 in said patent.

[Ofiicial Gazette March 21, 1939.]

comprising bringing together the ends of the fabric to be joined,against the opposite sides of an interposed strand, andprogressively.moving.

a heat applicator with substantially uniform velocity entirely acrossthe fabric to unite the ends and the strand together.

12. An apparatus for making a seam in wire fabric comprising a carriage,means for supporting the carriage for movement along-the fabric,

DI SC LAI M E R 2,ll3,2 65.E'dward- J. Buell, Niagara Fal1s,N. Y., andFrancis Martin, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. IN WOVEN WIRE FABRIC.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING JOINTS Patent dated April 5, 1938.Disclaimer filed February 18 1939, by the assignee, The 'Lindsay Wire Weamlng Company. Hereby enters a disclaimer of claims 1, 2, 6, 7, 11, and12 in said patent.

[Ofiicial Gazette March 21, 1939.]

